BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1598
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 9, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Isadore Hall, Chair
AB 1598 (Rodriguez) - As Amended: March 28, 2014
SUBJECT : Emergency response services: active shooter incidents
SUMMARY : Requires fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical
services agencies to jointly establish standard operating
procedures and coordinated training programs for active shooter
incidents. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the Curriculum Development Advisory Committee (CDAC)
to consult with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
Training (CPOST).
2)Requires that the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)
training standards include criteria for coordinating between
different responding entities.
3)Requires the Interdepartmental Committee on Emergency Medical
Services (ICEMS) to consult with CPOST regarding emergency
medical services integration and coordination with peace
officer training.
4)Requires the CPOST's guidelines and training standards to
address tactical casualty care and coordination with emergency
medical services providers.
5)Defines, for purposes of this bill, a "terrorism incident" to
include, but not limited to, an active shooter incident. An
"active shooter incident" is an incident where an individual
is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in
a confined area.
EXISTING LAW
1)Requires the Director of Emergency Services to establish CDAC
to, among other things, provide advice on the development of
terrorism awareness course curricula and response training.
2)Establishes, in the Department of Justice (DOJ), CPOST, which
is required to, among other things, adopt rules establishing
minimum standards relating to physical, mental, and moral
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fitness that govern the recruitment of peace officers.
3)Establishes EMSA which is responsible for the coordination and
integration of all state agencies concerning emergency medical
services.
4)Requires EMSA to establish training standards that include the
criteria for the curriculum content recommended by CDAC,
involving the responsibilities of first responders to
terrorism incidents and to address the training needs of those
identified as first responders.
5)Establishes ICEMS which is required to advise EMSA on the
coordination and integration of all state activities
concerning emergency medical services.
6)Requires CPOST to develop and disseminate guidelines and
standardized training recommendations for Special Weapons and
Tactics (SWAT) teams, as specified, that would be available
for use by law enforcement agencies that conduct SWAT
operations, personnel selections, fitness requirements,
planning, hostage negotiation, tactical issues, safety, rescue
methods, after-action evaluation of operations, logistical and
resource needs, uniform and firearms requirements, risk
assessment, policy considerations, and multijurisdictional
SWAT operations,
7)Directs CPOST to establish training standards and develop a
course of instruction involving the responsibilities of first
responders to terrorism incidents, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Purpose of the bill : According to the author, although active
shooter incidents are not frequent events, they do occur. As an
example, in November 2013, a gunman entered Terminal 3 at Los
Angeles Airport (LAX) and opened fire. In the hours after the
shooting, many travelers said they were not told what was
happening. Many waited for hours on airport roadways, not
knowing when they would be let back into terminals. Though law
enforcement officials were quick to respond to the incident, the
shooting at LAX raised scrutiny as to how the fleeing crowds
were managed throughout the attack and its aftermath.
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The author further states that since the Columbine High School
attack in 1999, active shooter events have captured a
substantial amount of public and police attention. Emergency
medical services entry to an attack site is often delayed
because the police must conduct a thorough search of the scene
in order to declare it secure. California responders need to
work together to minimize response times and to work together as
a coordinated unit so that casualties are reduced and minimized.
AB 1598 encourages local fire, law enforcement, and emergency
medical services agencies to jointly establish standard
operating procedures and coordinated training programs for
active shooter incidents.
By requiring cooperative training and planning, law enforcement
and emergency responders can more quickly secure a scene and
permit lifesaving medical care to be provided to the injured.
Active Shooter : The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
defines an active shooter as "an individual actively engaged in
killing or attempting to kill people in a conned and populated
area." While most active shooter events involve the use of
firearms, there have been various cases that have also involved
the use of homemade explosive devices. Individuals who carry
out these types of attacks have, in most cases, not had a
criminal background history or shown any signs of a violent
past. According to DHS, in many cases, there is no pattern or
method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and
these situations are by their very nature unpredictable and
evolve quickly.
As a response to the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, the Advance
Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) conducted a
study titled, "U.S. Active Shooter Events from 2000-2012." The
study found that between 2000 and 2010 there had been 84 active
shooter events in the United States that resulted in 250 deaths
and countless other injured. In addition, the study also found
that in 56% of the attacks that were still ongoing when the
police arrived, the police had to use force to stop the killing,
attackers carried multiple weapons in 41% of the attacks, and
business locations were the most frequently attacked (37%),
followed by schools (34%) and public outdoor venues (17%).
DHS has approached education and training for active shooter
situations by creating an online training module for non-law
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enforcement personnel and by developing a training program for
law enforcement and security personnel.
As active shooter incidents increase across the United States,
organizations such as schools, government agencies, and private
sector businesses are opting to have security experts provide
threat and risk assessment services as well as some type of
active shooter response training for their staff. While the
emergency response community continues to work on the best way
to prepare and put a quick end to these types of attacks, it
seems clear that the best way to deal with active shooter
attacks is by preparing and coordinating between the various
local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.
Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training : CPOST was
established in 1959 by the California Legislature tasked with
setting minimum selection and training standards for California
law enforcement. CPOST is composed of 15 commissioners and
roughly 120 staff members. The 15 commissioners are composed of
city and county administrators, law enforcement professionals,
educators, and public members. They are appointed by the
Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, for
three-year overlapping terms. The Attorney General is an
ex-officio member and serves as the 16th Commissioner. The
commission meets three times a year to establish standards,
regulations, and to give direction to CPOST staff.
The CPOST Program is voluntary and incentive-based.
Participating agencies agree to abide by the standards
established by CPOST. More than 600 agencies participate in the
program and are eligible to receive the CPOST's services and
benefits which include job-related assessment tools, research
into improved officer selection standards, management counseling
services, the development of new training courses, reimbursement
for training, and quality leadership training programs.
Double Referral : Should AB 1598 (Rodriguez) pass out of this
committee, the bill would move to the Assembly Public Safety
Committee for further consideration.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
AB 1598
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Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Felipe Lopez / G. O. / (916) 319-2531